Air feed for pressure pumping systems



Octo 17, 1944. w. H. cRow AIR FEED FOR PRESSURE PUMPING' SYSTEMS Filed May 9, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l A n W/ lill/lf. l

3mm/nm 50m. J6. Cro w Oct. 17, '1944. 'w. H. cRow AIR FEED FOR PRESSURE PUMPING SYSTEMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1944 I'IIIlI-I :Imm/kw wm. J-Crow M and: im

'attori/NW3,

Patented Oct. 17, 1944 AIR FEED FOR PRESSURE PUMPING SYSTEMS William H. Crow, Stockton, Calif.

Application May 9, 1944, Serial No. 534,725

(, CL S- 6) 9 Claims.

This invention relates in general to an improvement in pressure pumping systems which include a motor driven pump and pressure tank to which the pump delivers; there being an air cushion or dome in the tank to maintain the pressure inthe latter. With continued use of a system vas above there is a tendency for the air dome to gradually diminish due to air escaping with the outflowing water, and ultimately the tank will not maintain or hold the desired pressure.

To overcome this result, it is an object of this invention to interpose a device between the pump and tank which is operative to automatically replenish the air lost from the dome in the tank.

A further object of the vinventionV is to provide a device, as in the preceding paragraph, which functions each time the pump operates, to release a predetermined volume of air into the stream of water `being pumped into the tank; such volume of air Ybeing suflicient to compensate for air loss in the outlowing stream.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an air feed device adapted to be coupled between the pump and pressure tank of a pressure pumping system, and comprising a body having a flow passage therethrough, means in the body forming an air chamber having a port initially in communication with said flow passage, a valve normallyclosing the port but arranged to automatically open upon flow through the passage from the pump, and means operative, when the valve is closed, to open the chamber. to atmosphere, whereby said chamber lls with air, said last named means being ineffective, and the chamber closed to atmosphere when said valve is open. It will thus be seen that each time the pump operates, the water flowing through the device, under pressure, will open the valve, and when this occurs the volume of air in saidcharnber is immediately released into the Water flow and carried into the pressure tank to supplant air which may have previously escaped from the air cushion o-r dome in said tank.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

rFigure 1 -is-a sectional elevation of the device in itslnormal or closed position.

.Figure 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of a pressure pumping system embodying the invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the device in open or air-feed position.

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the main valve.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the body assembly.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the device comprises an elongated tubular body I having a reduced diameter tubular shell 2 supported therein by radial webs 3; there being a water flow passage 4 between the body I ,and shell 2. At its ends the body I is provided with ttings 5 and 6 which are adapted to connect said body with pipe sections 'I and B which communicate with the pump 9 and tank I0, respectively.

At the end adjacent the tting 5 the shell 2 terminates in the same transverse plane as the adjacent end of body I; said end of the shell forming Va valve seat I I.

The opposite end of the shell 2 terminates within the fitting 6 and is closed by a screw plug I2. The shell 2 is separated intermediate its ends, but adjacent its lower end, by a cross wall I3 which divides said shell into a pair of chambers I4 and. I5; the chamber I4 hereinafter dened as the air chamber.

A circular or disc Valve I6 is disposed in the fitting 5 in facing, cooperative relation tothe valve seat II'; said valve being formed with a resilient face I1. The valve I6 is of such diameter that when closed it overhangs the adjacent end of the passage 4. The valve I6 is supported by a rigid valve stem I8 which projects axially through the shell 2, lbeing supported at longitudinally spaced points by a spider I9 and the cross wall I3 through which said stem slidably projects.

A reduced diameter passage 28 `formed parallel to the stem I8 extends through cross wall I3 to establish communication between air chamber I4 and chamber I5. Another passage 2| opens at one end into the chamber I5 from the cross wall I3, and at its other end said passage 2| opens through the side of the body I and communicates with an outlet pipe 22.

Within the chamber I5, the valve stem I8 is of reduced diameter, as at 23, and carries a circular valve assembly 26 on such reduced diameter portion between shoulder 24 and end nuts 25; said valve assembly having a certain amount of free Vplay axially relative to the valve stem I8. When the valve I6 is open relative to the seat II, the valve assembly 26 closes passages .20 and 2|. Y

A further passage 21 leads from within the shell 2 to the outside of the body I; said passage being provided at its outer end with an outwardly closing, freely inwardly opening ball check valve unit 28.

In operation the device is disposed vertically between the pump 9 and tank IIJ, with the fitting uppermost; said tank Ill] including therein, as

is usual in pressure pumping systems, an air dome, indicated diagrammatically at 29. The Valve IB is normally closed, as shown in Fig. 1, and at such time the ball check valve 28 is open, as is the valve assembly 26; the air chamber I4 then being open to atmosphere and filled with air.

When the pump 9 begins to operate, water under pressure flows from pipe 1 through passage 4 and into pipe 8, leading into tank I0. When this occurs the pressure of the water flow in passage 9 impinges against the face of valve I6, raising the latter from its seat II, and at the same time closing valve assembly 28 relative to passages 2U and ZI. As the valve I6 opens and the valve assembly 26 closes, water pressure from passage 4 surges into chamber I4, causing check valve 28 to close and forcing the air therefrom into the fitting 5, from whence it flows with the water through pipe 8 into tank I9 to supplement the air in dome 29.

When the pump 9 stops the valve I6 falls by gravity or by back flow from pipe 8 into engagement with seat II, and when this occurs the shoulder 24 drops against the valve assembly 26, breaking it away from passages 29 and 2I to open position. As the valve assembly 26 opens, the check valve 28 likewise opens and the water chamber I4, which previously displaced the air therefrom, will then drain through passage 20 into chamber I5 and out through passage 2I into the drain pipe 22. As the water drains out of chamber I4, the latter rells with air through the open check valve 28, and the device is again ready for a furth-er air feeding cycle. The drain pipe 22 may, if desired, be connected back to the pump for ease of disposal of the drain water.

The valve I6 is formed with one or more relatively small openings 30 therethrough which register with the passage 4 when said valve is clos-ed against the seat II. The purpose of such openings is to permit water under pressure from the tank to feed back through the device to keep the pump primed in the event there should be any leakage of the foot Valve.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the `invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air feed device adapted to be coupled between the pump and pressure tank of a pressure pumping system, said device comp-rising a body having a flow passage therethrough, means in the body forming an air chamber having a port initially in communication with said flow passage,

a valve normally closing the port, the valve au-v tomatically opening upon flow through the passage from the pump, and means operative when the valve is closed to open the chamber to atmosphere whereby said chamber fills with air, said last named means being ineffective and the chamber closed to atmosphere when said valve is open.

2. An air feed device adapted to be coupled between the pump and pressure tank of a pressure pumping system, said device comprising a body having a flow passage therethrough, means in the body forming an air chamber having one port initially in communication with said flow passage and another port in communication with a drain passage leading to eXteriorally of the body, a valve unit including one valve normally closing said one port and another valve in normally open but cooperative relation to said other port, said valve unit being responsive to water pressure in said iiow passage so as to open said one valve and to close the other valve, and an air admission check valve arranged in communication between the air chamber and atmosphere, said check valve opening toward the air chamber.

3. An air feed device adapted to be coupled between the pump and pressure tank of a pressure pumping system, said device comprising a tubular body, a reduced diameter tubular shell fixed in the body, there being a flow passage between the body and shell and separate passages leading from the chamber within the shell to eXteriorally of the body, a check valve in one of said separate passages opening toward said chamber, the shell being initially open at the end in the direction of flow in said flow passage and closed at the other end, and a. valve unit mounted in connection with said shell and including one valve normally closing said initially open end of the shell and another valve disposed in normally open position but adapted to close the other of said separate passages upon opening of said one valve; the valve unit being responsive to ow in said flow passage.

4. An air feed device adapted to be coupled between the pump and pressure tank of a pressure pumping system, said device comprising a tubular body, a reduced diameter tubular shell fixed in the body, there being a flow passage between the body and shell, the end of the latter in the direction of flow forming a valve seat and the other end of the shell being closed, a cross wall in the shell dividing the same into separate chambers, there being a passage through the cross wall between said chambers and another passage leading from the chamber adjacent said closed end of the shell to exteriorly of the body, a valve unit including a normally closed valve cooperating with said seat and a normally open Valve adapted to close the between chamber passage, said valves being connected in unitary relation and responsive to flow in said flow passage, and an air admission check valve unit in communication with and opening toward said shell.

5. An air feed device as in claim 4 in which said valves are axially alined, and connected together by a valve stem.

6. An air feed device adapted to be coupled between the pump and pressure tank of a pressure pumping system, said device comprising an elongated tubular body, an elongated reduced diameter shell fixed in said body, there being a flow passage between the body and shell, the Vend of the shell adjacent the intake end of the body being closed and the end of the shell adjacent the outlet end of the body forming a valve seat, an axially movable but normally closed valve engaging said seat, an axial valve stem projecting into the shell from said valve, another valve in the stem within the shell, there being a drain passage leading from the interior of the shell to the exterior of the body, said other valve closing said drain passage upon opening of said normally closed valve, the latter being responsive to and l0 port against which said other valve closes upon opened by oW in said ow passage, and an air admission check valve unit in communication with and opening toward said shell.

7. An air feed device as in claim 6 in which said normally closed valve overhangs a portion 15 of said ow passage whereby ilow therein impinges against and opens said valve.

8. An air feed device as in claim 6 in which f-'said normally closed valve overhangs and normally closes the adjacent end of said body; there being a by-pass port in said valve in register with the flow passage.

9. An air feed device as in claim 6 in which said other valve is mounted on the stem for limited axial movement; said drain passage including a axial movement thereof away from the closed end fof the shell.

WILLIAM H. CROW. 

